10 things you didn’t know about Dwayne Johnson

10 things you didn’t know about Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson has transitioned from pro-wrestling to acting with aplomb, proving he’s not just a beef-cake, but a man of many talents. Yes, there’s more to the man than meets the eye.

Get Kwesé TV and catch Dwayne Johnson as Sean Porter in Gridiron Gang on Friday, 8 September at 21:00 CAT on Kwesé Movies 2 (Ch 120).

Here are a few facts you might not know about this Hollywood mega-talent.

Dwayne came in second this year on Forbes' list of ‘The World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2017’ with a whopping $65 million after coming in number one in 2016. He was trumped only by the legendary Mark Wahlberg but still managed to surpass the likes of Tom Cruise and Samuel L. Jackson.

His father, Rocky Johnson and grandfather, Peter Maivia were wrestlers. He also has 3 uncles and 6 cousins who are wrestlers, including WWE stars Yokozuna, Umaga and Roman Reigns.

Dwayne made his small screen debut while playing his father, Rocky Johnson, in a 1999 episode of the critically acclaimed series That ‘70s Show.

He was an outstanding American football player in high school and received a full scholarship from the University of Miami, where he had tremendous success in football.

In 1995, Dwayne suffered a back injury which cost him a place in the National Football League (NFL).

There was a time when Dwayne was so broke that he cadged an old mattress at a dumpster outside his low-rent apartment. He also attended every Stampede team meeting, even if it wasn’t required, because of the free sandwiches.

In 2007, his debut Hollywood movie The Scorpion King, for which he raked in a reported $5.5 million, earned him the Guinness World Record for the highest salary ever received by an actor in a debut starring role.

Still on Guinness World Records, Dwayne once set a record for the most selfies taken in 3 minutes, at the world premiere of his film San Andreas at London's Odeon Leicester Square. Dwayne captured 105 selfies on the red carpet with excited movie fans.

Dwayne has a degree in criminology, whilst also having a criminal record. He has even admitted that his shady past played a huge part in him choosing to pursue a degree in this field.

He is the author of a New York Times Bestseller, The Rock Says, which hit number 1 upon its release in 2000.

Tune in to Kwesé Movies 2 (Ch 120) on Friday, 8 September at 21:00 CAT to catch the gritty and inspiring movie, Gridiron Gang.